Ferry operator Irish Ferries has quietly updated its travel requirements, confirming that from 28 September every passenger on its Dublin–Holyhead and Rosslare–Pembroke routes must present a valid passport (or Irish passport card) before boarding. Driving licences and other photo ID will no longer be accepted. The change brings sea routes into line with passport rules already enforced on air services between the two countries and follows a Border Force audit into Advance Passenger Information compliance. Critically for non-British and non-Irish nationals, the FAQ published by Irish Ferries highlights the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme. Passengers who need an ETA but arrive at the port without one “may not be allowed to board.” From February 2026 most visa-exempt visitors – including EU citizens – must hold an ETA to enter the UK, extending airline “no permission, no travel” checks to ferries. For multinational employers moving staff between Irish and British sites this marks a policy shift: last-minute day-trips using national ID cards will cease to be an option, and assignees with dual EU-third-country nationality will need to check ETA eligibility well in advance. Travel managers should update booking workflows to capture passport data and trigger ETA reminders; failure to do so could strand employees at the port and expose companies to duty-of-care claims. The requirement also affects the sizeable community of contractors who commute weekly via the “land bridge” to continental Europe. Logistics companies have reported that some drivers from Eastern Europe were unaware of the ETA obligation because they rarely pass through UK airports. Industry bodies are asking the Home Office for transitional leniency during the autumn peak. In the longer term, mobility specialists expect other ferry operators – and possibly Eurotunnel coach services – to adopt similar passport-only boarding rules as digital permission-to-travel checks bed in. Firms with cross-border teams are advised to conduct an immediate audit of staff document validity and to brief travel suppliers on the ETA cut-off.
Source: Irish Ferries
